


Holding tight

by xCruelx



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Slow Burn, They are like 16, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-24 06:04:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21094616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xCruelx/pseuds/xCruelx
Summary: Since Richie is forced to join a football team, he isn't feeling well most of the time and the feelings he develop for one of his friends doesn't really help him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a beginner so this fic isn't going to be the best one but yesterday I had a dream of them and I needed to write it-

This summer was different than the years before. Richie found less time to hang out with his friends because of his new hobby, which he doesn't like at all. The children in his football team are mean to him (for unknown reasons) and they hate his jokes enormously, which is why he feels the need to stand there and pass whenever he gets the ball. He has to listen his members all the time and he isn't allowed to talk. When he did, he gets insults (the coach didn't care, no, he even joined in. The new kids were always the hardest to deal with, he thought.) He usually didn't take the opinion of others to heart, but ever since he felt feelings for his friend, Eddie, he became more emotional and even meaner to the Loser Club to hide his true feelings. Especially with these "Eddie's mom jokes" which actually have an another meaning to him. Although he trusts his friends, he was in some ways scared. The people of Derry woudn't accept someone like him and he is afraid that one of his friends will think the same and will no longer see him as a friend. Of Eddie's reaction, he's the most scared.

Tomorrow evening there will be a tournament, a big one to be exact. And Richie's first. But today he will spend the day, after weeks, with his friends again. They'll meet at his home, which is why he got up early from bed to prepare everything. His mother brought him snacks up his room. Maggie had the feeling that something was wrong with her son. He seemed sad, but she didn't know how to talk to him about it, because Richie never reached his mother whenever he had a problem, so she silently left his room. She was sure he would eventually come on his own when he felt ready to do so.

Richie sat quietly on his bed, starting to shake from the wind coming from the window in front of him, and stared silently at the clock. Today he plans to talk with one of his friends about his feelings. Probably with Beverly. He fixes his oversized glasses on his freckled nose before he heard voices and then the bell rang. He went down the stairs and opened the door. Richie couldn't help but grin widely when he saw his friends. "Nice to see you alive and well again," Beverly said.

"It's nice to see you all, too.... alive." he said, and everyone headed up to his room to talk about the events of the last few days, Richie can be himself again and tell them every joke he has on store. Eddie and Stan sometimes complained about jokes which went too far. Richie laughed and, of course, continued with his stand up show.

"Richie, tell me ..." Eddie started and Richie could feel his heart beating real fast. He shaked his head and tried to ignore the warm feeling he suddenly felt. "Did you find other friends in the team?"

Richie remained silent for a second.  
"E-Ehm ...", he started to stutter like Bill. "Y-Yes, of course I've made friends." He lied and Eddie continued to look at him with his deer eyes, which made him sweat. "But please don't worry, my love. Nobody can replace you! " He said. Hugging Eddie from the side, hoping he didn't go too far, because Eddie's cheeks turned to a dark red.

"Shut up, Richie ..."

He thought that Eddie would break away from his grip, that's why he made his grip loose but Eddie didn't move. Although he liked the warmth of his body, Richie wanted him to stop bringing him false hopes into his head, only to get disappointed in the end. By now he wasn't sure anymore if he should really talk to Beverly about his feelings. Beverly is an expert in love, feelings and relationships. She has a happy one with Ben. At first, Richie thought Beverly would end up with Bill. He glanced over at the two of them. Beverly's hands were together with Ben's and their knees were touching as Beverly snuggled him and he couldn't help but notice that Eddie's knees were touching his right one and Eddie was hugging him lightly with his hand on his back and Richie's hands on his small shoulders. He tried to get him closer to him as Eddie suddenly stood up from his seat.

"Where are you going?" Mike asked.  
"Gotta... go to the bathroom." Eddie said quickly and Richie has just realized how cold his room is.

"Dude," Stan said. "What's up with you two?"

"What do you mean?"

"For a second, Eddie and you looked like a couple." Although Stan smiled as he spoke, it felt like he was judging him.

"Ew, no way. We are just friends."

"Boy. Friends." Beverly corrected and grinned widely. "You love him." Richie blushed and before he could continue to protested, Eddie came back. "There is no toilet paper in your bathroom anymore." He said while everyone, with the exception of Richie, looked at him. "What?" He askes.

"We're playing truth or dare." Beverly offered Eddie a seat next to her, Richie realizing what Beverly is up to.

"This game is lame," he said, but everyone ignored him.

"I'm starting." Beverly said, "Truth or Dare .... Mike" Richie did not realize he wasn't breathing for a while.

"Dare"  
"Y-You shouldn't have c-chosen dare i-i-if it's B-Bev's turn, m-man." Bill said jokingly.  
"It can't be that bad."  
"Lick off the wall."  
"What?"  
"Lick the wall," Beverly repeated.  
"Dude, I woudn't want to lick my walls," Richie said with a grin.  
"What did you do with them?" Eddie asked in disgust and pushed his back off the wall.  
"When I did your mother she came on it and-"  
"Oh, come on!"

Mike licked the wall and choose Stan, who took truth.

"What are you most scared of?" Mike asked.

"Definitely Pennywise." Stan said and the others agreed with him.  
"What a bitch." Richie said, "I hope we won't face him again in 27 years."

Richie gasped as Stan picked Eddie while Beverly winked at him.

"Dare."  
Stan thought. "Kiss Richie."  
Although Richie wanted that kiss, he was sure it'd be uncomfortable for Eddie why he was willing to go against it. But Eddie already started to talk.  
"I'll do it," he said as he walked toward the, now, red Richie.


	2. Chapter 2

Richie closed his brown eyes. He could feel Eddie's breathing on his freckled cheek and felt his own heart beat faster against his chest. His face was getting hot and he began to sweat slightly because of excitement. For a second he forgot that Eddie and he aren't alone in here. He expected to feel Eddie's soft lips on his own, but instead Eddie kissed him on the right cheek. Before Richie opened his eyes, Eddie sat back in his seat besides Beverly, who sighed.

"...What?"  
"Stan didn't tell me where to kiss you." The situation was getting uncomfortable for him, Richie really wanted it and was really looking forward to it, that could have been his only chance to kiss Eddie, and he didn't really try to hide it from the outside.  
Richie forced a laugh. "Then you could've kissed me right on the top of my balls." Eddie looked at him in disgust. Eddie now knew what Richie felt for him, everyone knew about his dirty little secret that he had been trying to hide for years, Richie told himself. And wished this day will go by quickly.

The day went by slow. After a few more rounds, they stopped playing and talked instead. They promised to come to Richie's big game tomorrow to, as Richie thinks, watch him lose. Maybe his team would win, but still he was sure he wouldn't be a part of the reason they won.

After they all left, he went up to his room with his arms folded and fell down on his soft bed. He didn't have any motivation to change his clothes or to eat something. At the moment he just felt empty, thought about questions that he couldn't answer and he started to cry softly into his white pillow. Why is he like that? He asked himself and began to shout, when suddenly the door opened.

"Richie?" His mother asked. "Are you all right?" she could hear him cry from outside before she came in.

"Yes, mom. Everything's fine." he said, quickly trying to wipe his tears from his cheeks.

"Do not lie to me." Richie didn't move. "Richie, look into my eyes and tell me everything is really alright with you."

After a moment of hesitation he sat up straight, looked at his mother with red, teary eyes and said: "What have I done wrong that I'm like this?"

When Maggie saw him like this, she sat down, next to him and hugged him. He cried on her shoulder and kept talking. "Mom, I'm scared."

"About what?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Of my feelings."

Maggie pulled herself away from the hug and went through her son's dark hair. ,,Why?"

He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it with his mother. Wasn't sure if his mother would accept him. And he was suprised that he could actually feel like this because of his feelings. He didn't say anything for a full minute until his mother smiled at him slightly. She wouldn't judge him. She often told him that she is proud of him.

"Mom, I- I-" he burst into tears and his hands trembled, and Richie couldn't believe he would actually say what had been in his heart for years.

"I think I like boys," he said, letting out a breath of relief. "No, actually not some boy... I like E-Eddie." it was finally out. His secret is out.

"Richie, I know," she said and kissed him on the forehead, "and you will stay my son, no matter what" Although she accepted him, she wished it wasn't true. In Derry the people don't accept anything that is different, he'll have a hard time in the future and no mother wishes that for his son. But, still, like before she's proud to call Richie her son. Nothing changed.

Richie smiled widely and hugged his mother. "Thanks, mom." He sobbed. "T-thank you ..."


	3. Chapter 3

Richie felt free after talking to his mother. Not that free that he didn't feel insecure anymore, but definitely free. His mother was quite open about his feelings, asked Richie what he liked about Eddie, and he told her almost everything.

"The way he is." he said immediately, Eddie always said what he was thinking, not like the others, he is different, Eddie has something that shoot him out of the crowd. His glowing teeth whenever he laughed made Richie's heart beat faster.

Maggie smiled, happy that her son found a friend who made him smile, even in such a situation. She got up from the bed.

"Sleep well. Tomorrow is going to be big day. "

"Good night," Richie said, laying flat on his bed, still feeling the tears of his tears on his pillow.

When Richie got up, he was ice cold. Although it was summer and it wasn't cold at all, he felt sick. He walked quickly to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, noticing how pale he was and how his eyes were shining. He wasn't allowed to be sick today, no. Not today. Even if he doesn't want to and couldn't be there, he has to be present at the game tonight.

He forced himself to stand on his wobbly legs and went to the kitchen to drink a glass of water. There were breakfast on the kitchen table, eggs, toast and a tee, but Richie didn't feel hungry, so he crawled back under his bedsheet for a few more hours. Maybe he's going to feel better afterwards. But he couldn't fall. Disappointed, he went to the kitchen and heard the noises of the coffee machine.

"Good Morning." he mumbled and forced himself not to cough. His mother put the cup of tea, he saw before, in front of his face. "You coughed all night." she said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm feeling fantastic!" He said, but coughed.  
"Richie, do not lie to me. You don't have to play today if you're not feeling well." Richie sat up straight and took a sip of his green tea.

"But I have to be there. My friends will watch me and my Team will be disappointed." He mumbled and his mother nodded. "If you are so sure you won't be lying on the floor in the middle of the game, go. "

Before Richie could drink the last sip of his tea, the telephone rang. His mother answered.  
,,Hello?"  
"Ehm, yes, Richie is here."  
"Sure, wait a minute."  
His mother went to him with a big smile.  
"It's Eddie," she whispered, handing the telephone to him, he felt the eyes of his mother on his back in the kitchen, so he ran up to his room. He could feel his heart skipping a beat as she mentioned Eddie's name.

"Hello Eddie. Couldn't wait until tonight to hear my voice, heh?"  
"No, idiot" Eddie laughed. "You did not tell us yesterday at which time we need to be there." Although Richie was sure that he did mention that, he answered: "At 7 in the night."

"Then until 7.... in the night."


End file.
